S'mores Pie

by LEON BOUTEILLER

Somehow the thought of summer fun left behind doesn’t seem right to me. It is hard to let go of gathering with friends on the beach, hiking, camping and backyard picnics. Even though I know it will begin again.

There are some foods that remind us of summer or times past. It may be a memory of a Scout camping trip or family outings to the ocean, lake or park. Backyard picnic food reminds me of my mother and the amazing delights off the grill. As a child one of my favorite, fun foods I could help prepare - just for me.

That was an old fashioned s’more. A graham cracker sandwich with a chocolate bar and a hot, toasted marshmallow. In a minute or two the heat would melt the marshmallow and chocolate. I would wait and wait for a treat far greater than the sum of its parts! It was always a challenge to keep the marshmallows without flame.

Memories of this simple and delicious treat connect me to some of my favorite times. In college we would make treats on a contraband hot plate in our dorm. In the years I was a rock star wannabe traveling the country, s’mores were our after show snack at 2:00 AM. We were fortunate to stay in a suite with a small stove. Our biggest decision was whether to use plain or cinnamon flavored graham crackers. There was laughter and melted chocolate all over.

Here is a recipe with all the flavors of this iconic snack. S’mores pie has a graham cracker crust with a filling much like a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe with more graham crackers and marshmallows. Served warm, it makes a less messy treat with the flavor of the real thing. Serve with a scoop of ice cream. It is not more difficult than making cookies; make it once and you’ll probably make it again.

S’MORES PIE
Makes one 10 inch pie

Ingredients for the crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs, crush in a food processor
6 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cream or milk

Method:

Put the graham cracker crumbs and the brown sugar in a bowl
Whisk in the melted butter and the cream until it begins to look like gravel
Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate using your hands and the bottom of a small drinking glass or measuring cup. A nitrile or latex glove may help this process
Refrigerate until the filling is ready

Ingredients for the filling:

1 ½ sticks room temperature unsalted butter
⅔ cup brown sugar
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 ¼ cups broken, not crushed, graham crackers
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups mini marshmallows, divided

Method:

Cream the butter in a stand mixer until fluffy
Add in the sugars and blend well
Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition
Mix in the vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon, if using
Carefully mix the blended flour into the butter and sugar on low speed
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the broken graham crackers, chocolate chips and 1 ¼ cups mini marshmallows
Scoop the dough into the prepared and refrigerated crust and press lightly until evenly distributed in the pan
Bake in a preheated 325F degree oven for 30 minutes
Sprinkle the remaining marshmallows around the top and return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes
The filling will puff up and fall when done. Do not over cook
Don’t be surprised if the marshmallows in the filling disappear, the flavor will be there
Remove from the oven and let cool

Serve slightly warm, a nice reminder of summer fun. It goes well with a glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top.

Enjoy!